“The center emphasizes the importance of ensuring that orphaned animals raised in captivity do not become imprinted or habituated to humans,” emphasized the center’s statement.
A novel approach has been adopted by a wildlife center to prevent an abandoned newborn red fox from becoming overly accustomed to human interaction: feeding it while wearing a fox mask.
In Richmond, Virginia, the Richmond Wildlife Center shared a heartwarming video featuring the center’s founder, Melissa Stanley, delicately feeding milk to the tiny female kit, all while sporting the fox mask. This innovative technique aims to thwart imprinting, a phenomenon where animals form strong bonds shortly after birth with the first caregiver they encounter.
“It’s crucial to ensure that orphaned animals raised in captivity don’t develop a dependency on humans,” underscored the center in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
“To safeguard against this, we minimize human sounds, establish visual barriers, limit handling, reduce transfers between facilities, and utilize species-specific masks,” the update continued.
Furthermore, the center expressed gratitude for being able to locate other fox kits of the same age and weight as the rescued fox.
Discovered by the Richmond SPCA and transferred to the center on February 29, the diminutive fox, weighing a mere 80 grams (2.8 oz), initially puzzled rescuers who mistook it for a cat. Upon closer inspection, they realized it was a neonatal fox kit, its eyes still tightly shut and its teeth yet to emerge.
The center’s use of masks in the video bears resemblance to a tactic employed by a wildlife sanctuary in China back in 2022. There, workers donned panda outfits coated with bear feces and urine in an effort to erase any memory of human contact from the captive pandas.
In Virginia, the Richmond Wildlife Center seized upon this incident to underscore the importance of rabies awareness.
Highlighting a critical concern, the center noted that the individuals who initially discovered the fox handled it with bare hands, putting both themselves and the animal at risk.
“It’s imperative to wear proper gloves when handling any wild mammal found in distress, including dogs and cats, to prevent the necessity of euthanasia and subsequent rabies testing,” emphasized the center.
Dispelling common misconceptions, the center clarified that rabies doesn’t always manifest in animals exhibiting aggression.
According to the center’s data, the City of Richmond has reported two cases of rabies in domestic cats within the past five years, with none documented in foxes. However, statewide figures indicate 131 cases in cats and 185 cases in foxes over the same period.
“While the likelihood of rabies transmission from this newborn fox kit is minimal based on fox statistics in Richmond, it’s important to note that, despite lacking teeth and exhibiting signs of dehydration with reduced saliva, the risk isn’t nonexistent,” cautioned the center in a Facebook update on March 1.
Committing to their mission of wildlife welfare, the center expressed its intent to reunite the kit with its mother.